Gas burner



, 1949.- F. R. HIGLEY 2.465,155

GAS BURNER Filed Sept'. 20, 1943 iNVENToA HPA/vk ,4f/@z5 Y Patented Mar. 22, 1949 cmsl BURNERl Franken. Bisley, cleveland Heights, ohio, assignor to Bryant Heater Company, a corporation of Ohio Application september, 194s, sei-n1 No. 503,019

9 Claim; (Cl. 158-417) This invention relates to improvements in gas burners.

The conventional gas burner consists of a gas nozzle. a mixing tube having a Venturi throat and a burner head of substantial volume in which are located a multiplicity of gas ports. The mixing chamber in such a burner is a tubular member symmetrical about an axis that passes centrally through the throat of the mixer, the crosssectional area of the tube beyond the throat increasing with the distance from the throat. The function of the mixing tube in addition to entraining air is to convert kinetic energy at the throat into pressure energy at the burner head. The rate of ow is high at the throat, decreases in the direction of the mouth oi the mixing tube. and is low in the burner head due to the large volume of the latter. The port areas of the head are relatively small, and therefore bring about an increase in the rate of flow at those points, which is.essential in order to prevent backiire. In other words the rate of llame propagation at the -ports must not be greater than the rate of gas ilow there. Thus in the conventional system rate f of ow is decreased and then again increased.

The present invention is characterized by the omission of the large burner head volume, which eliminates the two last mentioned changes in rate of flow. In my invention the mouth of the mixing chamber functions as the burner port or 2 particularly when the invention is applied to a conversion burner,

Other objects and features of novelty will appear as I proceed with the description of that l embodiment of the invention which, for the purposes of the present application, I have illusports and the rate of ow at the mouth becomes the rate of ow at the ports. Consequently there is no intermediate decrease in rate of :flow as there is within the head of the conventional burner. e

One of the objects of the invention is the pro'- vision of a burner of simplified design and low cost.

Another object is the provision of a burner hav= ing universal application regardless of variations in gas constituents or combustion chamber conditions.

Another object is the provision of a burner aordng adjustability of the orice of the gas nozzle, the volume of the mixing chamber, the area of its throat, the port area and the area of the primary air passage.

A further object is the arrangement of the controls for the foregoing adjustments in such a manner that they will be readily accessible.

trated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational and partly sectional view of a burner embodying the invention, the viewbeing taken largely on the section line i-I of Fig. 2; Y

Fig. 2 is a plan view with parts broken away to more clearly illustrate the invention; f

Fig. 3 is` a detail sectional view taken substantially on the line 3 3 of Fig'. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmental conventionalized view correspondingrto Fig. 1, showing a modification.

In carrying out the invention I provide a pair of plates of similar form and size spaced apart a short distance to constitute therebetween a gas and air passage which functions as a mixing chamber. A gas nozzle is arranged to discharge gas divergently with even distribution, and this ow of gas is directed into the mixing chamber throat formed between said plates, the term gas as herein employed referring to gaseous fuel supplied to the consumer, as distinguished from a mixture of such fuel with air. The adjacent faces of the plates may be surfaces of revolution about a common axis, and are so illustrated in Fig. 4. These surfaces may extend through 360 or through any lesser angle from a given axis which, in the illustrated case, is a line through the centers of the said plates. The gas nozzle and the said throat may be positioned centrally with respect to the mixing chamber or otherwise, and

the throat may be a complete annulus or a section of an annulus, or if the perimeter of the burner is other than circular, the throat may correspond in shape to such perimeter. In any event the angular range of the nozzle is the same 3 correspond approximately with the corresponding sectional areas of a conventional mixing tube of similar capacity. For example, in the illustrated embodiment the effective sectional area at the throat is computed by multiplying the circumference of the circle through the point 28 by the distance between plates I9 and 2I at that point. Likewise the eilective sectional area at the circular burner port or ports 30 is computed by multiplying the circumference of the circle of that radius by the mean distance between plates. These effective sectional areas for a burner of a given capacity correspond closely with the effective sectional areas at the throat and delivery end of a conventional mixing tube for a burner of like capacity, that is a tube that is symmetrical about an axis parallel to the direction of flow, as distinguished from the mixing chamber of the disclosed structure which is symmetrical about an axis perpendicular to the ow of mixture therethrough. The passage for air and gas decreases in effective sectional area .throughout the air induction portion thereof,

or until it reaches the throat 26 and thereafter, because of the ever increasing circumference, it increases in effective sectional area until it reaches the perimetrical extremities of the discs and the burner port or ports 30, just as in the conventional mixing tube the passage decreases in cross-sectional area'. until the throat of the Venturi is reached, after which the area increases steadily toward the burner head. While in most applications of the invention I prefer that the plates making up the mixing chamber shall be flat circular disks or annular plates, I desir'e it to be understood that conical or dished plates are within the purview of the invention.

In the drawing I have illustrated an application of the invention to a conversion burner, wherein I represents a spider having a hub I I and three evenly spaced radial arms which carry supporting posts I2. Each of these arms preferably has an extension in which is mounted a screw I3 adapted to bear upon a suitable supporting surface, indicated at 9. The hub II has an axial Ibore I4 therethrough with which a gas supply pipe I5 communicates, but the hub also has flatl walls 8, one of which may be drilled and threaded for the reception of a laterally extending gas pipe instead of the axial pipe I5, when of course the lowerend of bore I4 will be closed with a threaded plug. In the upper portion of bore I4 I mount an externally threaded gas tube I 6 which may be rotated for the purpose of adjusting it up and down.

Each of the posts I2 carries a stud or screw I1 which is surrounded by an annular spacer I8 with a smooth bore upon the top of which rests a circular disk I9, the studs I1 being headed as shown to prevent dislocation of the disk. The

lower part of each spacer is formed as a hex 2IIl in order that it may be turned by a wrench. Above the hex the spacer has a somewhat reduced circular section which is externally threaded. The threaded portions of these spacers extend through holes in a lower disk 2i. This disk is preferably sheet metal and its holes ilt snugly the threads of spacers I8 so that when the latter are turned the disk V2i moves upwardly or downwardly as may be desired.

Disk I 9, which is preferably a casting, may be formed on its under surface with a series of radial corrugations 23 Awhich taper inwardly.

The angle between corrugations is so that the space enclosed between two adjacent corrugations is an equilateral triangle. Thus there is vprovided between adjacent corrugations a maximum space for fa given surface area.

The lower disk 2| has a central opening 24 in an anticlastic portion of the disc for the admission of primary air, and around this opening the disk is flared downwardly as shown at 25. An annular throat similar in function to a Venturi throat is formed between the two disks at the radial point indicated substantially at 2B in Fig. l. This throat therefore is elongated in a circular direction about the axis of the discs. The flare of the throat 28 inwardly is in a downward direction, while its flare outwardly from the throat is in a horizontal direction. The passage between the disksl outwardly of this annular throat serves as a mixing chamber 21 with an annular mouth at the periphery thereof. The disk 2I may slope upwardly toward its pcriphery to a slight extent in order to compensate for the additional space resulting from the tapering corrugations, and thus maintain the effective or mean depth of the mixing chamber substantially the same throughout its extent.

The upper end of gas tube II is machined to present an edge of uniform thickness, and this edge is caused to approach quite closely the under surface of disk Il, whereby an annular gas nozzle 28 with a narrow oriilce is presented. Gas is thus caused to ilow radially outward in all directions in a thin sheet. This sheet of gas in passing through the throat 28 into the mixing chamber 21 entrains primary air entering through the opening 24, and the air and gas are diffused and mixed together in the chamber 21. The mouth of the mixing chamber functions as the fuel port, marked 30 in the drawing.

Suitable means are provided for turning the threaded gas tube I6 in the hub II of the spider in order to adjust the tube for regulating the orifice of the nozzle 28; One convenient means for this purpose, accessible from the top of the burner, consists of an axial post JI with a screwdriver slot in its upper end and a bifurcated lower end straddling a pin 32 which is mounted diametrically in the tube. This post is journaled in a smooth hole through disk IS so that it may be rotated to turn the tube I6. Its upper end is threaded to receive a lock nut 33.

A dished deiiector 34 is threadably mounted on the tube I6, by which means its height may be adjusted to regulate the amount of air permitted to Venter the burner `through the opening 24. Nut 35 threaded on the tube I6 below the deector serves as a. lock nut to maintain the deflector in adjusted position.

When the burner is to be used in a furnace I find it advantageous to provide the disk Il with an upstanding peripheral flange 36. This flange not only strengthens the disk I9, preventing breakage in handling and Vwarpage in use, but also serves as a retainer for the lower end of a cylindrical baille 31. The surface S upon which the burner is supported preferably has a circular opening 38 therethrough, concentric with the burner axis, through which air may flow.

The size of this opening is such as to insure anV adequate supply of primary air owing around the periphery of the deector 34 and through opening 24 into the throat 26, while providing at the same time sumcient secondary air at the periphery of the burner. The pattern of flame when the disk 2i is spaced from the disk I l, as in the drawing; is somewhat as shown iu Fig. 2, where. l indicates the tips of the flames which are opposite the spaces 2l between corrugations, while 4| indicates the low points of the flames opposite the points oi' the corrugations. 'I'he height of these low flame points may be caused to approach zero as the two disks are brought closer and closer together. In any case the flamepattern permits secondary air to rise between iiame points 40. A:The members IS-and 2| are preferably substantially ilat surfaces of revolution as shown in the drawing. but it is within the spirit of the'invention to formthem otherwise, that is, with their opposed faces as other surfaces oi' revolution. Thus the mixing chamber instead of being a fiat annulus may be an annulus of conical or dished contour.

The operation of the burner will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It will be observed that a comparatively small number of parts are yrequired and that sheet metal parts of low cost enter into the construction. 'I'he orice oi the nozzle 28 is readily adjustable for best results with different gases, and it is self-cleaning by the simple expedient of temporarily lowering the tube I8. The port area of the burner may also be regulated by manipulation oi the spacers 20, and as the port area is changed in this way the area of the throat 26 and the volume of the mixing chamber are correspondingly changed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: 1. In a gas burner of the character described. two spaced plates of similar contour and size forming a passage for gas and air, one of said plates being continuous and the other having an opening therethrough, a tubular gas conductor extending centrally through said opening and having an open end closely adjacent said continuous plate and forming therewith a nozzle having an annular orifice, said passage having a throat between said plates outwardly of said opening through which gas from said nozzle ilows to entrain primary air entering the burner from said opening.

2. In a gas burner of the character described, two spaced plates of similar contour and size forming a passage for gas', and air, one of said plates being continuous and the other having an opening therethrough, a tubular gas conductor extending centrally through said opening and having an open end closely adjacent said cori'- tinuous plate forming therewith a nozzle having an annular orifice, said passage having a throat between said plates outwardly of said opening through which gas from said nozzle ows t0 entrain primary air entering the burner from said opening, and means for eilecting relative adjustment between the continuous plate and the open end of said gas conductor.

3. In a gas burner of the character described, two spaced plates of similar contour and size forming a passage for gas and air, one of said plates being continuous and the other having an 1 opening therethrough, a tubular gas conductor extending centrally through said opening and having an open end closely adjacent said continuous plate forming therewith a nozzle having an annular orice, said passage having a throat between said plates outwardly of said opening through which gas from said nozzle flows to entrain primary air entering the burner from said opening, and means extending through said continuous plate for moving said tubular conductor toward and away from the plate.

i. In a gas burner of the character described,

two-spaced plates of similar contour land size is caused to approach or recede from said continuous plate. l

5. In a gas burner of the character described. a pair of spaced plates of similar contour and size forming a passage for gas and air, one of said plates having an opening therethrough, said passage having a throat surrounding said opening and having its mouth at the perimeter of the plates, gas nozzle means arranged to discharge gas radially through said throat to entrain air entering the burner from said opening, and a plurality of supports for both of said plates intermediate said throat and mouth, said supports comprising means for varying the spacing of said plates.

6. In a gas burner of the character described, a pair of spaced plates of similar contour and size forming a passage for gas and air, a plurality of supports on the inner side of the passage, a .perforated spacer on each of said supports against which the outer plate bears, each of said spacers being threadably mounted in a hole extending through the inner plate, a stud mounted in each support extending through the corresponding spacer and through a hole in the outer plate, said spacers being rotatable about said studs for moving the inner plate toward and away from the outer one.

7. In a gas burner of the character described,

a pair of spaced plates of similar contour and size forming a passage for gas and air, supporting means, one of said plates being continuous and the other having an opening therethrough a tubular gas conductor mounted in said supporting means extending through said opening and having an open end closely adjacent said continuous plate and forming therewith a nozzle having an annular oriiice adapted to discharge gas radially into said passage to 'entrain air entering the burner `through said central opening, said gas conductor and said continuous plate being relatively adjustable toward and away from each other for regulating the nozzle orifice and one of said plates being adjustable on said supporting means for varying the spacing of the plates.

8. In a gas burner of the character described, a pair of spaced plates of similar contour and size forming a passage for gas and air, supporting means, one of said plates being continuous and the other having an opening therethrough, a tubular gas conductormounted in said supporting means extending through said opening and having an open end closely adjacent said said continuous plate being fixed with respectl to said supporting means, said gas conductor being adjustably mounted in said support for regulating the nozzle oriilce, and the other plate being adjustable on said supporting means toward and away from the i-lxed continuous plate.

9. In a gas burner of the character described, a pair of spaced plates of similar contour and size with a passage therebetween, one of said plates being continuous and the other having a circular opening therethrough for the admission of primary air, a gas tube axially arranged with respect to said opening having an open end closely adjacent to said continuous plate, forming therewith a nozzle with an annular oriflce through which gas may be discharged radially into said passage to entrain air entering the burner from said opening, means for adjusting said tube axially, and a shutter adjustably mounted on said tube for regulating the air ilow through said opening.

FRANK R. HIGLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 394,004 ORielly Dec. 4, 1888 706,633 Beler Aug. 12, 1902 '116,176 Beler Dec. 16, 1902 901,596 Detsinyi Oct. 20, 1908 984,165 Solliday Feb. 14, 1911 1,205,436 Crone Nov. 21, 1918 1,648,329 Sievert Nov. 8, 1927 1,990,736 Kahler Feb. 12, 1935 15 2,009,271 Moecker July 2a, 1935 2,044,953 Palmer... June 23, 1936 f FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 150,938 Germany Jan. 21, 1903 

